Freaks! Two Badgers appear in Bruce Feldman's annual list of athletic freaks
Two members of the Wisconsin football team made the 'Freak List' by The Athletic's Bruce Feldman.
Wisconsin football is not likely among the first college football programs you think of when you hear the term ‘freak athlete.’ In fact, the Badgers are often thought of as a team that has big, corn-fed offensive linemen who would rather run over you than around you.
But as college football has evolved, so have the Badgers — quietly.
Bruce Feldman of The Athletic has been coming up with a ‘Freaks List’ since 2005. He started with just ten players, but the list has grown to 100 in his yearly list of athletic freaks. Since 2021, seven Badgers have made the list, two of which have made it multiple times.
In 2021, LB Leo Chenal (No. 22), DL Matt Henningsen (63), and P Andy Vujnovich (87) all made the list.
Four Badgers made the list in 2022. Braelon Allen (18), C Joe Tippmann (28), Isaiah Mullins (53), and Andy Vujnovich one again (80).
Then, the next two years, we see Braelon Allen again in 2023 (34) and Will Pauling last season (68) as the lone Badgers in their respective years.
This year, Feldman has two Badgers in his list of athletic freaks.
No. 46 - Running back Cade Yacamelli
Cade Yacamelli comes in at No. 46. The reserve running back put up some impressive numbers in limited action last season, leaving fans wondering why he didn’t get more playing time as the season went on. He is a player a lot of fans are looking at heading into the 2025 season, even with the dynamic duo of Darrion Dupree and Dilin Jones at the forefront of the running back depth chart.
Here is what Feldman had to say about Yacamelli:
The junior was very effective in limited action, rushing 274 yards and two touchdowns on 33 carries with a gaudy 8.3-yard per carry average in 2024. The 5-10, 220-pounder is a very explosive athlete. This offseason, he ran a 4.40 40, but that probably wasn’t his most impressive number. He did 10-9 3/4 inches on the broad jump, clocked a 3.96 shuttle time, squatted 635 pounds, vertical jumped 37 1/2 inches and did 33 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press. His backfield mate, fullback Jackson Acker, is also pretty Freaky, a 6-2, 248-pounder who clocked a 4.50 40.
No. 64 - Safety Austin Brown
At No. 64 is safety Austin Brown, who is expected to be a huge part of the defense for the Badgers, whether he’s patrolling the secondary playing safety or playing up in the slot corner position.
Last season, Brown had 51 total tackles in 12 games. He broke up three passes while producing two tackles for a loss and a sack as well as a fumble recovery. He is going to be part of the effort to fill in Hunter Wohler’s shoes in Mike Tressel’s defense.
Here is what Feldman says about the senior safety:
The 6-2, 214-pound Brown is really gifted. This offseason, he clocked a 4.40 40, vertical jumped 41 inches and broad jumped 10-8. He also squatted 585 pounds and did 21 reps of 225 on the bench. On the field, the former high school quarterback and standout basketball player had 51 tackles last year with three pass breakups, one sack, a forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
The Badgers, who have been written off this season due to their challenging schedule, are looking to turn some heads and surprise the college football world. Both Yacamelli and Brown could be big parts in the Badgers’ potential success.
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